Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
Hey all, I got an email about this last night and I thought I'd share it here, in case other Expo folks also own these pots but aren't getting notified.
Sea to Summit has announced a voluntary recall on some versions of the latching mechanism on their Alpha and Sigma pot sets: https://seatosummitusa.com/pages/product-safety
If you own these pots, please check your gear to see if it matches the recalled components.
My version of Alpha pots were not included in the recall (I have the Version 1 latches), but I HAVE run into the safety problem being discussed here - namely that for a left-handed user there is a chance for the pot to swivel on the handle (burn/scalding risk) if the latch is not correctly or sufficiently engaged.
In my case with the V1 latches, it is sometimes hard to get full engagement. After a couple of near misses involving boiling water, I am now VERY diligent about ensuring the lock is correctly engaged before I start cooking. For the V1 latches, it takes a LOT of pressure to get the lock to "snap" closed, but it is secure once this is done.
For the V2 latches, it seems that diligence is not enough - the latch does not have sufficient rigidity or closing pressure and can become disengaged later, which presents the big risk.
I'm a little "locked in" to the product at the moment as these pots fit a particular space I have in my kitchen kit - most pots are taller and thus don't fit. I will likely go back to looking at pots again and if/when I find a set that fit the same space, I will probably transfer these pots to a family member who is right-handed.
Sea to Summit has announced a voluntary recall on some versions of the latching mechanism on their Alpha and Sigma pot sets: https://seatosummitusa.com/pages/product-safety
If you own these pots, please check your gear to see if it matches the recalled components.
My version of Alpha pots were not included in the recall (I have the Version 1 latches), but I HAVE run into the safety problem being discussed here - namely that for a left-handed user there is a chance for the pot to swivel on the handle (burn/scalding risk) if the latch is not correctly or sufficiently engaged.
In my case with the V1 latches, it is sometimes hard to get full engagement. After a couple of near misses involving boiling water, I am now VERY diligent about ensuring the lock is correctly engaged before I start cooking. For the V1 latches, it takes a LOT of pressure to get the lock to "snap" closed, but it is secure once this is done.
For the V2 latches, it seems that diligence is not enough - the latch does not have sufficient rigidity or closing pressure and can become disengaged later, which presents the big risk.
I'm a little "locked in" to the product at the moment as these pots fit a particular space I have in my kitchen kit - most pots are taller and thus don't fit. I will likely go back to looking at pots again and if/when I find a set that fit the same space, I will probably transfer these pots to a family member who is right-handed.